


Stay

by mr-im-fine (witch_lit)



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Character Study, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic, Established Relationship, Future Fic, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Health Issues, One Shot, POV Kevin, Post-Canon, Sharing a Bed, Sick Character, Sickfic, Tumblr Prompt, palmetto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-20 04:37:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15526206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witch_lit/pseuds/mr-im-fine
Summary: Anonymous Requested: Could I request some kandriel or kevneil with like really sick Neil and doting boy(s)? ;;u;;





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, no beta! Hope you enjoy! Follow me/request fics at mr-im-fine.tumblr.com!

The thing is, at first Kevin doesn’t even notice what’s wrong. He wakes up alone in his twin bunk bed, which isn’t all that unusual, but the sheets are near soaked. He thought Neil was getting better at waking him up when he had a nightmare.

Light shines from under the bathroom door and Kevin pulls himself out of bed, yawning.

“Neil?” Kevin asks sleepily, his knuckles against the hollow wood door.

There’s a pause on the other side of the door, then Neil speaks, his voice raspy. “Kevin?”

“Did you have a nightmare? We should get back to bed.” There’s no game tomorrow, but with night practices with Robin they only get so many hours of sleep. It’s prudent to go and at least lay in the bed. Kevin can kiss the back of Neil’s neck and rub his shoulders and maybe even whisper some reassurances until he’s calm.

“Yeah,” Neil says somewhat belatedly. His voice still sounds awful. Kevin wonders if he’s been crying.

Neil turns off the light before opening the bathroom door. He looks pale, and his pajamas have been sweat through. Kevin asks him if he wants to change, and when Neil shakes his head, he grabs a towel from the bathroom to put down on the bed where Neil’s soaked through.

He holds Neil, who is cold and clammy and gross from his nightmare. It’s not comfortable, but Neil had helped him, despite cool disdain, through a couple of bouts of alcohol poisoning before he’d been convinced to go see Bee. He can pay that back.

 

* * *

 

Kevin doesn’t see much of Neil the next morning. He hits the snooze on his alarm and doesn’t really wake up until Andrew grabs him by the legs and pulls him out of bed. He flails, and god, does Andrew have to be such a dick? He glares at the midget, then turns his ire to Robin as she giggles.

She’s already got a piece of toast dangling from her mouth, so he must be really late. He gathers his things as quickly as possible. He feels gross from holding Neil, but he’ll shower after practice. Speaking of Neil…

“He’s in the bathroom,” Robin says. “Good luck getting in there anytime soon.”

Kevin grunts, shoving clothes from his dresser onto his body. He almost trips on the pants, but that’s just what mornings are like. He can’t find his sweater, but it figures.

He doesn’t have time to go down to the dining hall, so he mixes a shake. It’s actually got vegetables and fruits in it, more than just water and powder. He’s been working on the distinction between controlled and healthy eating.

Nicky, Andrew and Robin are gone by the time he’s worked through his shake. Neil’s still in the bathroom, so he knocks.

“Time to go,” Kevin says gruffly. He needs some _fucking_ coffee. He grabs two from the fridge, and hands one to Neil as they make their way to the car. Neil’s a bit pale, a bit slow, swamped in Kevin’s sweater, but Kevin hardly notices under the stress of _being late_. To _exy._

They make it to practice on time, thanks to Andrew’s reckless driving. Neil’s holding his head in his hands, looking a little green. Kevin isn’t worried until Neil gets out of the car and sways, his hand jutting out and gripping the hood of the Maserati.

Kevin’s brow crinkles. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine,” Neil grits hit teeth.

Neil doesn’t look fine. His skin is pale, and when Kevin reaches out, it’s cold and clammy. Kevin remembers last night, this morning.

“Have you been throwing up?”

Neil won’t meet his eyes, just keeps his clenched and his hand on the car like he’s trying to stop the world from spinning.

“If you’re sick, you shouldn’t be at practice,” Nicky says, standing next to Kevin. Andrew and Robin are already in the stadium.

Kevin, for an awful moment, thinks, I’ve played in worse health. Then he pulls himself together. This isn’t the nest, and while his father is gruff, he is understanding.

“Can you walk?” Kevin asks.

Neil takes a step towards the stadium and stumbles.

Kevin sighs. Stubborn.

“Come on.” Kevin bends at his legs, pulling Neil towards him. He lifts up, one arm under Neil’s butt and the other around his back. Nicky wolf whistles, and holds the door for them.

“I’m not a baby,” Neil protests.

“No, you’re not,” Kevin says. “You should have told me you were sick.”

Not that either of them could be sure if Kevin would have let him be without seeing just how bad it was. Kevin had been improving, unlearning a lot that had been instilled in him during his childhood at the Nest, but progress was slow and far from linear.

Kevin would have taken Neil back to the dorm, but Abby was at practice, and she’ll know what to do better than he would. Instead of heading for the changing rooms, he heads to her office.

He lies Neil down on the exam bed and she asks him questions about what’s been going on. She asks Neil if he’s comfortable with Kevin being part of this discussion, and Kevin holds his breath before Neil nods.  
“’Course,” he says.

It makes Kevin feel warm, and though Kevin hates to see Neil sick, he’s glad Neil trusts him. Really trusts him. He feeds Neil another ice chip.

Neil’s body jerks, and Kevin hands him the trash bin as he dry heaves. With his other hand, he pulls back Neil’s hair. It’s sweaty and matted, but Kevin won’t let it get in the way. He just wants Neil to feel better, and if he can do this, he will.

It’s a while later when there’s a knock on the door. It’s Nicky, fully changed into his street clothes. Abby’s already diagnosed Neil with the stomach flu.

“Practice is over,” Nicky says, and Kevin lets out a sharp breath. “Coach has excused you two from classes today. Doesn’t want to see you this afternoon either.”

A “but” is just at the tip of his tongue, but he chokes it down. “Okay,” he says, voice strained. Abby’s already offered to let them crash at her house until Neil’s better.

“If you need to go, you can,” Abby says once they’re at hers. “I can take care of him.”

“No,” Kevin says, even though the day has been one shot of adrenaline after another. The answer is almost automatic, and it jerks Kevin’s thoughts. Neil is as important, if not more important, to him than Exy.

“No. I’ll stay.” Kevin says it softly this time, like a revelation.

Abby smiles at him, but then her microwave beeps and she pulls out a heat pack and places it in his hands. “Go give this to your boyfriend.”


End file.
